Emperor Akihito’s Accession, 1989

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Today marks the 30th Anniversary of the Accession of Emperor Akihito of Japan, after the death of his father Emperor Hirohito on this day in 1989, after a reign of over six decades. After attending the ‘Shiko-no-Gi’ vigil, the new Emperor and Empress attended the ‘Kenji to Keisho no Gi’ ascending ceremony at the Imperial Palace, where he was presented boxes containing two of the Three Sacred Treasures of Japan (a ceremony which will happen on the 1st of May this year).Later that same day, the Emperor Akihito signed a document to approve the new ‘Heisei era’, before hosting the heads of three branches on January 9th, and the Ambassadors to Japan on the 25th. While no major events are planned today, in February, the Japanese Prime Minister will chair a ceremony to mark the Emperor’s 30 years on the Chrysanthemum Throne at the National Theatre in Tokyo.

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